This center was originally founded on April 1, 2002 as an educational institution to analyze genome functions in experimental animals. Its first director was Professor Tetsuo Noda. The center started with three divisions covering research in eight areas: Division of Genomic Function Analysis (analysis of generative differentiation, morphogenetic analysis, analysis of molecular pathogenesis), Division of Advanced Therapeutics (development of cell therapy, development of regenerative medicine, development of gene medicine), Prion Research Division (research on prion protein molecules and development of methods of early diagnosis and treatment of CJD).

Reflecting the current trend towards postgenomic research and recognizing the importance of expanding beyond genomic research to include research on antibodies and low molecular weight compounds as a basis for research on the structure and functions of proteins and drug discovery, the center was reorganized in April 1, 2010, thanks to the efforts of Professor Toshio Miyata, the former director, to fit with the project-focused core center program. A “core center” is a unit comprising a team of interdisciplinary researchers sharing a common mission and research vectors. The United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART) is an amalgamation of multiple core centers. The core center program is intended to foster projects through a proactive, flexible organization rather than the vertical course-based approach typical of traditional research departments.

While pursuing advanced multidisciplinary research based on their stated missions, each core center has been collaborating with the Clinical Research, Innovation and Education Center (CRIETO) in Tohoku University Hospital in areas ranging from basic medicine through translational research and clinical research. There are currently 14 such core centers. ART welcomes up-and-coming researchers to the Division of Interdisciplinary Medical Science as tenure-track staff and assists their further academic development.

The startup of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) in 2015 has focused even greater attention on the importance of new drug discovery and the output of medical-equipment R&D. However, neglecting basic research runs the risk of depleting the developmental seeds of future science. For these reasons, the 14 core centers within ART were recently reorganized into three major divisions: Basic Research, Translational Research, and Disease Research. Through good governance and leadership, we are looking to the heads of each division to share information and bolster cooperation within their divisions, and we aim to make ART a key locus of medical and life-science research at Tohoku University through collaboration with other departmental organizations.